**Kyiv:** British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signed a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, part of a European show of support and promises to keep helping Ukraine endure in its nearly three-year war with Russia.
The announcement comes days before Donald Trump is sworn in as US president, with what he says is a plan to end Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
“We are with you, not just today or tomorrow, for this year or the next, but for 100 years – long after this terrible war is over and Ukraine is free and thriving once again,” Starmer told Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv, promising that the UK would “play our part” in guaranteeing Ukraine’s post-war security.
Starmer said that the landmark agreement committed the two sides to co-operate on defence – especially maritime security against Russian activity in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov – and on technology projects including drones, which have become vital weapons for both sides in the war. The treaty also includes a system to help track stolen Ukrainian grain exported by Russia from occupied parts of the country and provides £40 million ($79 million) for Ukraine’s economic recovery.
It will also cover areas such as energy, critical minerals and green steel production, Starmer’s office said.
“Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure,” Starmer said in a statement. “Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level.”
Ukraine’s alignment with the West, and potential future membership of NATO, have angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who still wants to exert influence over the independent nation.
Starmer and Zelensky’s meeting was punctuated by the sound of a loud explosion from Ukraine’s air defences shooting down a Russian drone above the presidential palace. Debris fell in at least four districts of Kyiv, according to city administration chief Tymur Tkachenko, including close to the Baroque palace.
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# Jill Lawless
January 17, 2025 — 12.01pm
**Kyiv:** British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signed a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, part of a European show of support and promises to keep helping Ukraine endure in its nearly three-year war with Russia.
The announcement comes days before Donald Trump is sworn in as US president, with what he says is a plan to end Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
“We are with you, not just today or tomorrow, for this year or the next, but for 100 years – long after this terrible war is over and Ukraine is free and thriving once again,” Starmer told Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv, promising that the UK would “play our part” in guaranteeing Ukraine’s post-war security.
Starmer said that the landmark agreement committed the two sides to co-operate on defence – especially maritime security against Russian activity in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov – and on technology projects including drones, which have become vital weapons for both sides in the war. The treaty also includes a system to help track stolen Ukrainian grain exported by Russia from occupied parts of the country and provides £40 million ($79 million) for Ukraine’s economic recovery.
It will also cover areas such as energy, critical minerals and green steel production, Starmer’s office said.
“Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure,” Starmer said in a statement. “Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level.”
Ukraine’s alignment with the West, and potential future membership of NATO, have angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who still wants to exert influence over the independent nation.
Starmer and Zelensky’s meeting was punctuated by the sound of a loud explosion from Ukraine’s air defences shooting down a Russian drone above the presidential palace. Debris fell in at least four districts of Kyiv, according to city administration chief Tymur Tkachenko, including close to the Baroque palace.
!ping ukraine
May the 10,000 year deal be prosperous